Reflection | Various creative media at the project of Navigator

Working on the second project, Navigators, I had many firsts, the first time to create a large size artwork layers by layer, which combined many materials, the first time to realize how I love dolls and toys, human figures, vivid colors, and grand objects, and the first time I dare to paint like a child.

The final outcome was not only a 3-minute film but also a 5m x 2.5m size time-based artwork where my partner and I transformed our ideas based on research at the Central Line into practice. In this artwork, we were discussing the shape of time, the birth of city, and the relationship between time, space and being.

During the research, I was mainly inspired by Chinese pioneering artist Hu Jieming’s time-based installation ‘Lights of Time’ at Aurora Museum in Shanghai, as part of the ‘City Programs’ of the 11th Shanghai Biennale. Hu Jieming is very much under the influence of ‘Matter and Memory”’by Henri Bergson and ‘The Time-Image’ by Deleuze, who proposed the abstruse equation “thought=image=time.” Hu Jieming used the space of chandelier hall to set large equipment work, employing the “Input/Output: Heaven and Earth” and “Horizontal Level” as the main themes. He applied traditional oil painting, digital media, printmaking, and video to show his attention to the alternation in time, space, history, and memory.

I was amazed by how he used various creative media to achieve what he wanted to express about time, space, history and memory, and led the audience to go through his epic from 3 different parts. So when tutor Julian suggested my partner and me to paint together on a large size paper, I decided to learn from him to apply different materials on one canvas to achieve our understanding of time, city and being.

In the end of the artworks, I also used Neon and LED lights, but didn’t achieve a good effect, if I could customize Neon Light may be better, for the future projects, I will study more about lights and sound.